This invention relates to an electrical connector and, in particular, to a connector having a locking function of locking the connector to a mating connector through their shells.
A connector of the type may be used as a high-speed transmission interface connector and is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2003-229212. In the connector disclosed in the publication, a cable connector includes a plurality of contacts supported by a housing, a shell comprising a box-shaped metal member and surrounding the contacts, and a resin hood covering a whole of the connector. The shell is formed by bending a sheet metal plate and has a rectangular locking hole.
When the cable connector is connected to a mating connector, a part of a spring member formed on the mating connector is fitted to the locking hole. By engagement between the locking hole and the spring member, the cable connector and the mating connector are locked to each other in a connected state. A locking mechanism of the type has no mechanical action upon fitting and is generally called friction lock.
In the electrical connector using the friction lock, contact between the shells of the cable connector and the mating connector is not expected at a portion of the friction lock. Therefore, in order to improve EMI characteristics by obtaining the contact between the shells of the cable connector and the mating connector, a contacting spring member must be formed at a position different from the portion of the friction lock.
However, if the spring member for the friction lock and the contacting spring member for improving the EMI characteristics are separately provided, the electrical connector is increased in size. In particular, in a small-sized interface connector, a space for arranging the spring members is limited. It is therefore difficult to provide both the spring member for the friction lock and the contacting spring member for improving the EMI characteristics.